The Highland Community College Foundation was established in November 1962 as a Private Not-For-Profit Corporation making it Illinois’ first community college Foundation and the second nationwide. The Foundation has provided support to Highland Community College for more than four decades with nearly $3.74 million in contributions to the Growing for Tomorrow… Changing Lives Today Major Gift Campaign.
Past Fundraising Success
1964 — “Acres for Education’ campaign—$150,000 was raised to purchase the Taft farm property which the college now resides.
1984 — $428,000 was raised for the construction of the new Student Services building.
1988 — $500,000 was raised locally for an equal match from the Federal Government. The $1 million dollars is invested by the HCC Foundation for a term of 20 years (end of grant period is April 30, 2010).
1992 — ”Building for the Communities” campaign raised $375,000 to furnish and equip the new Student Conference Center.
2001 — The HCC Foundation provided $400,000 from its General Fund for the construction and furnishings of the Childcare Training Center on the HCC campus.
- The first grant to the college in 1963 was $227.88. By comparison, the total grant to the college for FY 2008 was $479,326.
- Over 46 years of providing support to Highland Community College, total grants to HCC have exceeded $7.5 million dollars!
- The HCC Foundation has provided scholarship support to Highland students since 1963. Many students have benefited from the generosity of our donors over the last 46 years. The first scholarships awarded in 1963 totaled $3,847.50. By comparison, over $400,000 in scholarships was distributed to Highland students in 2018.